Taylor Family in Alabama 
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THE TAYLOR'S OF COVINGTON COUNTY ALABAMA 1700-1900 February 25, 2002 By Robert Hugh Taylor Rt. 6 Box 378 Selma, Alabama 36701 The Taylor's came from Lenoir County, North Carolina by way of South Carolina and Georgia following The Three Notch Trail into The Mississippi Territory in what became Southern Alabama where they would eventually settle in the area of the headwaters of the Conecuh River. This area became known as Searight, Alabama. William Taylor, born January 6, 1745/46 lived in Lenoir County, North Carolina, married a Catherine Davis, born 1750 lived in North Carolina, in 1772. She was the daughter of James Davis and Catherine Windal (Her maiden name not proven, James First name may have been Windal) of North Carolina. They had 7 children; three boys and 4 girls:
James Davis 1774 (name of wife is unknown) had 5 children (May have been other children, Catey Taylor-Serena or Martha may have been Serena or Martha Serena) Of these children, James 1774 and Windal 1781-1845 would migrate to Alabama as this territory opened up for settlement along with their sisters, Winnieford, Mary, Elizabeth-Nancy and Martha. Edwin stayed in North Carolina where his descendants can still be found today. James Davis Taylor 1774 arrived in Alabama in about 1818 and being one of the first whites to come to Alabama, went to the Cotton Bluff settlement north of Fort Crawford in Conecuh County, Alabama. After the Indian hostility settled down, James moved north into the area now known as Leon, Alabama, where he settled on 40 acres of land to farm. He would later purchase this land in 1835. He had 5 children; 3 boys and 2 girls Name of wife is unknown.
Jacob Taylor 1801 married Elizabeth and had 11 children His brother Windal Taylor 1781-1845 then joined him before 1820 with his wife Rebecca Arnett 1785 and family of 8 children; 5 boys and 3 girls:
John Arnett Taylor 1806-1872 married Rebecca Carter in 1828, had 6 children Windal Taylor 1781-1845 settled on 160 acres in the Searight, Alabama then Covington County area to farm, which he would later purchase as a land grant. He was a farmer, a miller and served as Justice of the Peace 1828-1830. The Taylor Cemetery Plot is on these acres in Searight, Alabama. The only standing marker is Elizabeth Taylor Dozier 1808-1866, however, there are between 20 and 30 indentations, which indicates more graves. John Arnett Taylor 1806-1872, the oldest son of Windal Taylor 1781-1845, moved south across the Conecuh River into the area known as Rose Hill, Alabama. There he became a large landowner (over 2800 acres). He bought and settled land on the first dirt road to the north, south of Rose Hill, Alabama on The Three Notch Road Covington County, Alabama. He built a bridge across the river from Searight to Rose Hill and installed a grain mill on a creek near the bridge on the Rose Hill side. He was a Farmer, Miller, Blacksmith, County Commissioner and a member and the treasurer of The Goodhope Primitive Baptist Church Searight, Alabama. He was an Ensign in the 46th Regiment Covington and Dale Counties, 11th Brigade 4th Division, Alabama Militia from 1828 till 1832. He married Rebecca Carter 1808-1884, daughter of Silas Carter in 1828 at Searight, Alabama. They had 6 children; 4 boys and 2 girls. Windal William Taylor 1840-1925 married (1) Matilda Ann Jones 1845-1889 had 9 children, married(2) Nancy Ann Wiggins 1852-1922 had 2 children
William Billy Taylor 1831-1862 married Elizabeth M. Carter 1830-1912 had 5 children Windal William Taylor 1840-1925, a Farmer and a Miller, was born in Searight, Alabama in 1840. He moved across the Conecuh River with his father John Arnett Taylor to Rose Hill, Alabama. He always worked hard, was kind hearted, liberal and generous and never accumulated much of this world's goods. He was conservative and reserved regarding public matters, and was a member of the Pilgrim Rest Primitive Baptist Church Dozier, Alabama. In the civil war he served as a private in Company B 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment which he joined at Auburn, Alabama. He spent the first few months on the coast at Mobile and fought with General Hood all the way down to Atlanta in front of Sherman, and back to Tennessee, and on the retreat to Mississippi, and at Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort, where General Hood surrendered, in the spring of 1865. He was not wounded nor captured until the final surrender, and saw nearly four years of hard service. After the war, he resumed farming and milling and purchased the grain mill from his father. He owned over 400 acres of land. He served as a county commissioner for 10 years (1887-1888). He was founder of "Taylor School House" near Rose Hill, Alabama. He was named for his grandfather Windal Taylor of North Carolina. Windal's house, a large log house still stands today on Taylor Road in Rose Hill, Alabama. The house is owned by a Mrs. Ellen Hearn of Andalusia, Alabama. He married Matilda Ann Jones 1840-1889 in 1861, daughter of John Wright Jones and Eliza C. Dauphin. They had 11 children; 6 boys and 6 girls: John Washington Taylor 1866-1936 married Lola Montez White 1873-1954 had 6 children:
William Windel Taylor 1872-1955 married Nine McLondon 1881-1960 had 5 children After Matilda Ann Jones Taylor's death, Windel William Taylor 1840-1925 married Nancy Wiggins 1852-1922 in 1890. They had two children; both girls: Vinne Lee Taylor 1890-1918 married Aubrey Ashley Harris 1889-1978 in 1910 had 2 children Lala Izabell Taylor 1892-1936 married Wade H. Jones1889-1956 had 5 children From Windal William Taylor 1840-1918 children, James Marion went into the automobile business which would go on to become the Taylor Parts and Supply Company in Andalusia, Alabama. Hugh would sell and repair automobiles in Florala, Alabama and Andalusia, Alabama. William Windal became a jeweler and optometrist in Florala, Alabama. John Washington became a photographer and then an optometrist in Gadsden. Alonzo moved to Gadsden, Alabama and became a jeweler. |